road to the republic of ireland Take a trip around the green lands of Ireland with DriveNow, journeying back in time through historic towns, villages, rustic pubs and rugged landscapes. Pick up your hired car from Dublin Airport and start your Irish adventure - expect a picturesque and fun journey that takes you to some of the oldest locations in the world. Meet the friendly locals everywhere as you go from the capital Dublin, south into Kilkenny and Cork, into the western regions of Clare, Limerick and Galway, and north to Sligo and Dundalk before returning to Dublin. republic of ireland 2 | drivenow.com.au – Helping travellers find the best deals on campervan and car rental since 2003 TABLE OF CONTENTS 4 DAY 1: Dublin to Kilkenny 5 DAY 2: Kilkenny to Cork 6 DAY 3: Cork to Limerick 7 DAY 4: Limerick to Galway 8 DAY 5: Galway to Sligo 9 DAY 6: Sligo to Dundalk 10 DAY 7: Dundalk to Dublin 11 CONCLUSION 3 | drivenow.com.au – Helping travellers find the best deals on campervan and car rental since 2003 day DUBLIN to KILKENNY (1 hour, 25 minutes) 1 SLIGO Finding the right car for your Irish adventure is simple Stop of at the legendary Smithwick’s Experience with DriveNow. All you have to do is choose your Kilkenny for a bite to eat and a sample of the local dream vehicle type and the dates of travel - DriveNow brew. In the afternoon, challengeCAVAN yourself on the will do all the hard work locating the best deal for your Brandon Hill Loop where you can overview the localDUNDALK CASTLEBAR trip. As such, when you land at Dublin Airport, the keys area - located 40 mins east via R700. are ready and waiting at the hire car firm. LONGFORD ROSCOMMON N NAVAN With a full tank, get on the M50 which takes you MULLINGAR NW NE around the edge of Dublin until you get to the N7 intersection. From here, you’re heading south towards W E DUBLIN GALWAY TULLAMORE the medieval city of Kilkenny - making the turn onto SW SE the M9 just outside of Newbridge. S PORTLAOISE Spend the day exploring Kilkenny, visiting local sites such as Kilkenny Castle, St. Canice’s Cathedral & CARLOW Round Tower and Jerpoint Abbey. Don’t miss a tour of Kilkenny Castle which was built back in 1195 to control LIMERICK KILKENNY the River Nore and several routeways. The dramatic castle has extensive parklands, an art gallery and a playground for the kids. CLONMEL TRALEE WEXFORD CORK Stop of at the legendary Smithwick’s Experience Kilkenny for a bite to eat and a sample of the local brew. 4 | drivenow.com.au – Helping travellers find the best deals on campervan and car rental since 2003 SLIGO CAVAN DUNDALK day KILKENNY toCASTLEBAR cork (1 hour, 55 minutes) LONGFORD ROSCOMMON 2 NAVAN MULLINGAR DUBLIN The next day depart Kilkenny west on the R693 GALWAY TULLAMORE towards the M8 then south to Cork. This scenic route passes through some of the richest Irish farmland, and there are many small towns to pop into for a spot of PORTLAOISE brunch. CARLOW This university city’s centre is on an island in the River Lee - connected to Cork Harbour. Spend the morning LIMERICK in the heart of the city at the English Market, exploring KILKENNY Brown Thomas for some shopping and snapping a souvenir photo at St Patrick’s Bridge. In the afternoon, you can look into the historic side of Cork - namely CLONMEL WEXFORD the Cork City Gaol, dating back to 1806 and CrawfordTRALEE Art Gallery which houses collections of 17th century classical Greek and Roman statues. Enjoy dinner at Cafe Paradiso Restaurant - one of the best eateries in Cork. CORK N NW NE Cork is also home to the famous Blarney Stones, a block of Carboniferous limestone that tourists come W E to kiss to be blessed with the gift of the gab. Part of SW SE Blarney Castle, it’s simply something that a visit to S Ireland must include! Cork is also home to the famous Blarney Stones, a block of Carboniferous limestone that tourists come to kiss BLARNEY STONE to be blessed with the gift of the gab. 5 | drivenow.com.au – Helping travellers find the best deals on campervan and car rental since 2003 SLIGO day cork to limerick (1 hour, 30 minutes) 3 CAVAN DUNDALK CASTLEBAR From Cork, travel north on the N20 before joining LONGFORDTavern. If you time your visit, you could also watch ROSCOMMON the N21 and M20 into Limerick. Set in the Munster Munster play at ThomondNAVAN Park Stadium - one of world province, Limerick is well known for its old town (St rugby’s spiritualMULLINGAR homes. Mary’s Cathedral and St John’s Square). Take some time to visit the historic King John’s Castle DUBLIN on the River Shannon beforeGALWAY having lunch at The TULLAMOREGlen PORTLAOISE CARLOW LIMERICK KILKENNY CLONMEL TRALEE WEXFORD N NW NE W E CORK SW SE S Take some time to visit the historic King John’s Castle on the River Shannon before having lunch at The Glen Tavern. 6 | drivenow.com.au – Helping travellers find the best deals on campervan and car rental since 2003 day limerick to galway (1 hour, 30 minutes) 4 SLIGO From Limerick, set your GPS north for the N18 and M18 towards Galway - a harbour city on the edge of CAVAN the River Corrib and the Atlantic Ocean. Entertain DUNDALK yourself at the 18th century Eyre Square where you CASTLEBAR can enjoy traditional pubs with live Irish folk music, used famously by Ed Sheeran for his 2017 hit single LONGFORD ‘Galway Girl’. ROSCOMMON NAVAN The Latin quarter still retains its medieval city walls MULLINGAR with various boutiques and art galleries to explore. Galway is certainly one of the best night’s out in Ireland - enjoy a wide range of dining options from DUBLIN across the continent in an environment described as GALWAY TULLAMORE “less conservative” than the rest of the country. PORTLAOISE CARLOW LIMERICK KILKENNY Entertain yourself at the 18th century N Eyre Square where you can enjoy NW NE CLONMEL traditional pubs with live Irish folk TRALEE W E WEXFORD music, used famously by Ed Sheeran for SW SE his 2017 hit single ‘Galway Girl’. S CORK 7 | drivenow.com.au – Helping travellers find the best deals on campervan and car rental since 2003 day galway to sligo (2 hours, 5 minutes) 5 The next day, travel north from Galway along the N17 The Sligo Abbey also dates back to the 13th century and N4 towards the coastal seaport of Sligo. Here you if you’re interested in the history of the area. Enjoy a can see the wonder of the rugged Irish landscape from guided tour of the Abbey which includes Gothic and Knocknarea and Benbulbin to Strandhill Beach. If the Renaissance tomb sculpture and the only 15th century sea air has you feeling a little hungry, pop into Eala high altar left in an Irish monastic church. Bhan for the best Irish fare in town. SLIGO CAVAN DUNDALK CASTLEBAR LONGFORD ROSCOMMON NAVAN N NW NE MULLINGAR W E DUBLIN SW SE GALWAY TULLAMORE S PORTLAOISE CARLOW LIMERICKThe Sligo Abbey alsoKILKENNY dates back to the 13th century if you’re interested in the history of the area. CLONMEL TRALEE WEXFORD 8 | drivenow.com.au – Helping travellers find the best deals on campervan and car rental since 2003 CORK day SLIGO to DUNDALK (2 hours, 35 minutes) 6 From Sligo, travel east along the N16, which passes many scenic drives or forest walks to get picturesque into Northern Ireland on the N54, N2 and N53 before views of the sea inlet at dawn or dusk. returning to Ireland into the county town of Dundalk. In the morning, visit the historic St Patrick’s Cathedral After a spot of lunch at Fitzpatrick’s bar and restaurant, which dates back to the 19th century. For a touch of stop by the Cooley Whiskey Visitor Centre for insight natural beauty, drive towards the Northern Irish border into how this famous drink is made. on the R173 from Dundalk to Carlingford Lough. This glacial fjord connects to the Irish Sea; take one of the N NW NE W E SLIGO SW SE S CAVAN DUNDALK CASTLEBAR LONGFORD ROSCOMMON NAVAN MULLINGAR After a spot of lunch at Fitzpatrick’s bar and restaurant, GALWAY DUBLIN stop by TULLAMOREthe Cooley Whiskey Visitor Centre for insight into how this famous drink is made. PORTLAOISE 9 | drivenow.com.au – Helping travellers find the best deals on campervan and car rental sinceCARLOW 2003 LIMERICK KILKENNY CLONMEL TRALEE WEXFORD CORK day DUNDALK to DUBLIN (1 hour, 10 minutes) 7 SLIGO The home stretch from Dundalk to Dublin on the M1 hugs the Irish Sea. Before dropping off the car rental at Dublin Airport, take your time to explore the cosmopolitan capital. CAVAN DUNDALK CASTLEBARWhether you’re in the mood for history, art, sport or simply want to relax in the park, Dublin has something to offer you. Highlights include Kilmainham Gaol, a walking tour of the city’s main attractionsLONGFORD and a tour of Croke Park StadiumROSCOMMON - home of Gaelic Football. NAVAN MULLINGAR DUBLIN GALWAY TULLAMORE PORTLAOISE N NW NE CARLOW Whether you’re in the mood for history, W E art, sport or simply want to relax in the SW SE park, DublinLIMERICK has something to offer you. KILKENNY S 10 | drivenow.com.au – Helping travellers find theCLONMEL best deals on campervan and car rental since 2003 TRALEE WEXFORD CORK Ready to explore the historic isle of Ireland? If conclusion you’re looking for a hire car from Dublin Airport, DriveNow is your first stop for finding the best deals without having to look for that pot of gold! Visit our site today and experience the DriveNow difference for yourself.